Counting device



. 1,614,712 F. J. CANNQN v commune DEVICE I Filed Nov. 28,, 1921 2Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 18,1927;

- Jan. 18, 1927.-

- 1,614,712 F. J. CANNON coum'ma DEVICE Filed Nov. 28, 1921 2SheetsSheet 2 ramg V Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNE'Z? STATES PTENT OFFICE.

FRANK J. CANNON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO PRODUCTION METER COM-PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

'/ COUNTING DEVICE.

Application filed November 28, 1921. Serial No. 518,325.

My invention relates to counting deviceshaving a plurality of relativelymovable indicating members, provided with gradua-' t-ions on their dialsand adapted to be moved intermittently from one position to another toindicate numerals of one or more digits.

The invention has for its principal object to provide improved means forpreventing the accidental movement of the indicating members and tolimit the movement of said members, when operated, to the amplitude ofone graduation on their dials.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide an improved stopmechanism for the indicating members of counting devices 7 of thegeneral type having a plurality of indica-ting wheels arranged in axialalignment and adapted to be intermittently rotated by means of anoscillating ratchet member which moves into and out of engagement withratchet teeth formed on each of said wheels. Devices of this generalconstruction are usually provided with spring pressed locking dogs whichdrop back of one of the ratchet teeth of the operated indicating wheelwhen the Wheel has movedthe desired distance so as to prevent thefrictional engagement of the oscillating member with the wheel,imparting a reverse movement to the wheel during the back stroke of theoscillating member.

Prior to my invention, it has been customary to rely upon the springpressure, forcing the above mentioned locking dogs against theindicating wheels to maintain the inactive wheels in their properposition during the rotation of an adjacent wheel and to also resist theinertia or coasting tendency of the operated wheel from carrying itbeyond the point at which the graduations of adjacent wheels willregister with each other. In devices of this construct-ion, the springfor forcing the locking dogs against the indicat ing wheels, beingpreferably made relatively light so as to permit the various parts ofthe device to move freely and at the same time minimize wear of saidparts, often permits the active or operated indicating wheels to coastbeyond the point at which they are intended to stop. Such undesirableoperation as this is particularly likely when the counting device isused in situations where the indicating wheels are moved rapidly or whenthey are operated with a sudden impulse. F*or example, by means ofmagnetiously driven shaft.

The invention has for further objects the begins to rotate and maintainsuch position until the indicating wheel has made its full movement,which stop device is especially adapted for use in counting devices ofthe above general construction, in which the oscillating member isoperated by a continunovel arrangement, construction and combination ofparts and devices hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out theabove stated objects and such other incidental objects as will appearfrom the following description.

A preferred embodiment of'my invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designatelike parts and Wherein Fig. 1 is a side View in elevation of my improvedcounting mechanism, the center portion of the casing being omitted inthis figure.

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1,this figure showing the side of the mechanism opposite to that shown inFig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken through the structure of Fig. 2 onlines 55 of this figure. 7

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the movable part in adifferent operative position.

Fig. 6'is a side view partly in section, of one of the indicatingjwheelsemployed in my preferred construction, the sectional por-- tion of thisfigure being taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View, in section, of part of the countingmechanism, this view being taken on 9-9 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, my improved counting device is illustrated as being ofthe general type in which a plurality of revoluble indieating wheels aremoved .intermittently from one position to another by means of a ratchetmember having an operative connection 'with a crank shaft whereby anoscillatory movement of the shaft or a complete revolution thereof willimpart an oscillatory movement to the 'atchet member. The particularmanner in which the crank shaft operates will, of course, dependentirely upon the character of the operations being count ed by thedevice and the manner in which the crank shaft of the device isconnected to the movable part of the machine, the operations'of whichare being recorded.

Referring to the drawings, the counting device consists of a casing madeup of a tubular center portion 10 and end pieces 1112, clamped toopposite ends of the tubular portion by means of screw bolts 13. Thesebolts preferably extend through the end pieces 11 and have a threadedengagement with the end piece 12. The end pieces of the casing areprovided with bearings for a shaft let which shaft is normally heldagainst automatic rotation by a spring pressed dog 15 (Fig. 7) formedwith a rounded end adapted to enter are-latively shallow notch 16 in acollar 17, fixed to the shaft l l. The shaft 1 f may be manuallyrotated, for a purpose hereinafter described, by means of'a knurled knob18, secured to the outer-end of the shaft.

A plurality of relatively movable indi- *ating wheels ll), 20, E21, 29.and 23, having numbered graduations on their peripheries are revolublysupported on the shaft'll; the wheel 19 representing the units of anuniher and the other wheels representing tens, hundreds, thousands, andten thousands, respectively. Each of the indicating wheels consists of ahollow shell 24 (Fig. 6) having a spring pressed dog 25 pivoted thereinto bear against a cam member 26. A ratchet toothgear 27 is secured tostuds 28 of the shell 24: and provides a cover plate adapted to closethe open side of the shell and hold the dog 25 and cam 26 in theirproper positions. The cam 26 is formed with a feather 29 which, when theindicating wheel is fitted on the shaft 14:, his in a keyway 30 formedon the shaft. Will this construction it will be apparent that the shell24: may be rotated in one direction without imparting movement to thecam 26 or shaft 14 and that when the cam .26 is rotated in the oppositedirection, for example. by turning the knob 18 on the shaft 14:, theshoulder 31 of the cam will engage the dog and thereby produce acorresponding rotation of the shell 24;.

The indicating wheels of the device are rotated intermittently and areso associated that those at the left of the unit wheel 19 are rotatedthe amplitude of one graduation on their peripheries for each completerevolution of the next adjacent wheel at the right thereof. Theindicating Wheels are rotated intermittently by means of an oscillatingmechanism consisting of a yoke 32 and a'pivoted ratchet member 33carried by the yoke. The ratchet member 33 is formed with a plurality offingers 10, 20, 21, 22, and 9.3, one for each indicating wheel, and isheld up in its operative position by a spring 34. The lingers of theratchet member 33 are formed so that when the finger 1!) is bearii'igagainst the outer surface of the ratchet gear 27 of the indicating wheel19, the other lingers of the ratchet member will clear the teeth of theother indicating wheels so that an oscillatory movement of the yokeandratchet members will impart an intermittent revoluble movement to theunit indicating wheel 19 only. The ratchet wheel 27 of each of theindicating wheels is formed with a recess 35 adapted, when a wheel movesthe amplitude of nine graduations on its periphery, to receive a lingerol the ratchet member 33 and thereby permit the adjacent finger to theleft thereof to engage the ratchet gear of the adjacent indicatingwheel. 'lVith this construction it will. be apparent that when the unitindicating wheel 19 has been moved the amplitude of nine graduations onits periphery, the ratchet finger 19 will enter the recess 35 of theindicating wheel 19 and permit the ratchet linger 2t to engage with atooth 2 of the indicating wheel 20. A forward movement of the yoke 32,under such conditions. will move both indicating wheels 19 and 20 theamplitude of one graduation. The back stroke of the yoke 32 willwithdraw the linger 1t) from'the recess 35 and as a result moves thefinger 20 out of contact with the ratchet gear 27 of the indicatingwheel 20, whereupon the unit indicating wheel 1;) will again receivenine successive movements before another movement is imparted to theindicating wheel 20. The same operation is carried out in connectionwith the other indicating members.

The yoke 32 and ratchet member 33 are connected by means of'a link St;to a crank shaft 37; the c.*ank of the shaft being provided by a pin 38which extends outwardlv from the disc shaped end 39 of the shaft :17.

In order to prevent reverse movement of the indicating wheels, aplurality of dogs 4%) are pivoted on one of the bolls 13 at. one side ofthe device and forced against the ratchet gears 27 of the imjlicatingwheels by means of a spring member all. When one or more indicatingwheels are moved from one position to another, the dogs l0 arrangedopposite the wheels being moved, will snap back of the ratchet teeth 27,as shown in Fig. 5, when the'indicating wheels being operated have movedone full step.

The spring pressed dogs ll), while providing an effective stop forpreventing reverse movement of the indicating wheels do not Ill) providesatisfactory means for resisting the tendency of the indicating wheelsto be accidentally moved by their frictional engagement with an adjacentWheel or to prevent an indicating wheel from coasting beyond the pointat which it is intended to stop, such for example as may result from arapid or sudden operation of one or more of the indicating wheels. Inorder to provide an effective stop for the forward movement of theindicating wheels and thereby prevent the numerals of adjacent wheelsfrom being out of alignment, I provide a positively operated stop devicewhich moves into and out of the path of travel of the ratchet teeth 27so as to provide an abutment which will limit the movement of anindicating wheel being operated and which will hold the inactiveindicating wheels in their proper positions. This step mechanismpreferably consists of a rocking member 42 pivoted on a screw bolt. 13so as to stand on-the opposite side of the indicating wheels to thatengaged by the pivoted dogs 40. The member 42 is formed with downwardlyprojecting portions 43 which are adapted to extend into the spaceintervening between the peripheries of the adjacent wheels and to berocked, at a pre-' determined time during the operation of an indicatingwheel, into the path of travel of the ratchet teeth 27 whereby a ratchettooth of the indicating members being operated will abut against one ofthe projections 43 of the stop mechanism when the indicating wheels havemoved one full step. The rocking movement of the member 42 is effectedby means of an arm 44 formed on the rocking member and adapted to bearat its outer end against a cam 45 formed on the upper end of theupstanding portion 46 of the yoke The angularity of the cam surface 47of the cam 45 and the lower edge 48 of the arm 44 is such that when theoscillating yoke 32 is in its neutral position, as shown in Fig. 6, theprojections 48 of the rocking member 42 stand out of engagement with theratchet teeth 27 of the indicating wheels. As soon as a forward movementis imparted to. the yoke 32 to move one or more of the indicatingwheels, the arm 44 of the rocking member 4-2 is raised to the positionshown in Fig. 5 (which figure shows the yoke in a position intermediateits extreme forward and reverse strokes), thereby moving the projections43 of the member 42 into the pathof travel of the ratchet teeth 27 ofthe indicating wheels, in which position the said projections remainuntil the yoke 32 makes its full forward and back strokes. When the yoke32 reaches its extreme back stroke the edge 48 of the arm 44 rides downon the camsurfaee 47 of the cam 45 and thereby permits the projections43to move quickly out of engagement with the ratchet gear teeth of theindicating wheels to the position shown in Fig. 6. The arm 44 is held incontact with the cam 45 by means of a spring 49 which is attached at oneend to a stud 50 on the casing and bears against the upper edge of thearm 44.

then all of the indicating wheels are in their normal position of rest(Fig. 4), the numbered graduations on the indicating wheels are inalignment and may be seen through a window 79 formed in the top of thecasing 10 of the counting mechanism. In the above position of theindicating wheels, the projections 43 of the locking mechanism 42 standout of engagement with the ratchet teeth 27 of the indicating wheels, asshown in Fig. 3. are in this position, all of the indicating wheels maybe reset by rotating the knob 18 so as to bring the shoulder 31 of thecam 26 of each of the indicating wheels into engagement with the pivoteddogs 25 of said wheels. When the shoulder 31 of each of the cams 26 isin engagement with the pivoted dogs 25, the zero graduations andlikewise the other numbered graduations of all of the indicating wheelsare in alignment. The unitindicating wheel 19 is moved the amplitude ofone graduation on its periphery for each complete revolution of thecrank shaft 87 or, if desired, by an oscillation of said crank shaftthroughan angle of approximately 180 degrees. In the event that themechanism is operated by oscillating the said shaft 37, the oscillationof the shaft through an angle of 180 degrees from the position shown inFig. 4 moves the unit wheel the amplitude of one graduation on itsperiphery. The return oscillation will return the ratchet member to itsformer position so that the linger 19 will engage the IlEXt succeedingtooth of the ratchet wheel 2K.

7 Vilhile I have described my invention in a preferred embodiment, itwill be obvious tliat nodificatioiis might be madewithout departure fromthe spirit of my invention. I therefore wish it understood that I do notwish to limit myself to the exact structural features shown anddescribed except in so far as specific limitations appear in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a counting device, the combination with a plurality of revolubleindicating members adapted to be rotated with relation to eachother, anoscillating member pro vided with ratchet fingers adapted to engage withmeans on the indicating members to impart an intermittent revolublemovement to one or more of said indicating membersv and provided with acam surface, of stop mechanism for said indicating members comprising arocking member engaging said cam surface and adapted to be rocked intothe path of travel of said finger engaging means l-Vhile the parts ofthe operated indicatingmembers during the initial movement ot' saidindicating members.

2. In a counting device, the combination with a plurality of relativelymovable indicating members provided gvith ratchet teeth, and operatingmeans adapted to engage the toothed portion of said indicating membersto move one or more of said members intermittently, of stop mechanismoperated by the movement of said operating means adapted to moveintermittently to engage the indicating members not operated and to moveinto the path of travel of a ratchet tooth ot the indicating memberoperated during the initial movement of said member, for the purposedescribed.

3. In a counting device the combination with a plurality of revolubleindicating members, of oscillating means for moving one or more of saidindicating members intermittently and formed with a cam, springpressedstop mechanism for preventing reverse movement of said indicatingmembers, and stop mechanism adapted to prevent accidental movement ofthe indicating mem bers not operated and to limit the forward movementof the operated indicating members comprising a rocking member normallyout of engagement with the indicating members and adapted to be rockedby said cam into engagement with each of said indicating members.

4-. Ida counting device, the combination with a revolnble indicatingmember provided with a toothed portion for engagement with operatingmechanism, oscillating ratchet mechanism for engaging said indicatingmember intermittently, of stop mechanism for limiting the movementsetl'ected by said ratchet mechanism comprising a rocking membernorn'ialiy disengaged from the indicating member when said member is atrest, and a cam operated during the initial forward movement of saidoscillating member to move said step mechanism into the path of travelof a tooth of said toothed portion oi? the iniflicating member.

5. in a counting device, the combination with .a plurality of revolubleindicating members provided with ratchet gears for engagement withoperating mechanism, and oscillating ratchet mechanisn'i for operatingsaid indicating members intermittently, of stop mechanism for limitingthe movements etiected by said ratchet mechanism comprising a rockingmember normally disengaged from the indicating members when said membersare at rest, and a cam operated during the initial forward movement 0tone or more of said indicating members to move said stop mechanism intoengagement with the i-nd' rating members not operated and into the pathof travel ot'the teeth of said ratchet gears.

FRANK J. CANNON.

